The invention relates in a very generally to the casting of molded metal parts, i.e., foundry technology. For casting of molded parts of any type, casting cores and/or molds are usually produced from separate parts, put together, and joined to make a casting mold, or a core packet or mold packet. These mold/core packets are then filled with molten metal for producing, for example, a metal workpiece, whereby in mass production the mold/core packets to be filled with molten metal pass through the assembly line in succession.
Core and shell mold shooting machines for producing cores to be joined together have been known in practice for decades. Solely by way of example, reference is made here to DE 31 48 461 C1, which discloses such a core and shell mold shooting machine.
Heretofore, molded parts have been cast in a mold composed of cores or a core packet. After the mold is shot and formed, it is integrated into an additional mold or enclosure made of core sand to ensure the necessary mechanical stability.
Regardless of the actual casting procedure, afterwards the molding sand which forms the mold/core packet must be removed from the cast molded part. Because of the binder, special disposal or recycling of the molding sand is necessary, which requires significant effort.
The method known from the prior art has significant energy requirements in the form of heat, introduced into the mold packet from the melt, which heretofore has been more or less lost through the cooling process. Furthermore, additional energy must be expended for annealing the binder and thus for recycling the molding/core sand.
An object of the present invention is to design and refine the previously described method in such a way that optimum use is made of the energy used for casting.